Platform scaffold



Feb. 5; 1946. H. B. 'wALTZ 2,394,221

PLATFORM SCAFFOLD Filed April 13, 1945 Patented Feb. 5, 1946 UNITED .STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE PLATFORM. SCAFFOLD HomenBn'Waltz, Canton, Ohio .ApplicafioniAplilfm, 1945, .Serial..No. 588,127

B' Claims.

The invention relates :to scaffolds and .more particularly to a fo'ldingplatform scaffold adapted for use byworkmenfor .workon ceilings, walls and the like.

.The object of the invention .is toprovide .a

scafiold .of this type which .maybe easily-and readily extended for use iandifolded orcollapsed .ior transporting or storage.

Another object isto provide .a. scaffold of this type in which the platformmay be quickly and easily adjusted. to various heights.

.A further .objectis to provide a platform scafiold having .a ladder. associatedtherewith sov that the workman may easily .and safely .climb up .to the platform.

.A still further .object is to provide va iladder scaffold .in which the platform or the scaffold .forms the top stepofjtheladder.

ed upon theiupright .fr-ames and having meansv 'for clamping themrigidly in any. adjusted posi- .tion.

A still Jfurther object .is .to .provide .a scaffold .of this character whichlone end .of each plat- .form section is rigidly .connected to .one of the vertically adjustable crossbars and the other end thereof is adapted to rest upon the adjustable cross bar of an adjacent. upright supportingframe with positive means .-for locking the platform against movement relative .to the last named cross .bar.

The aboveobjects to ether wi'thpthers which will be apparent ifromthe drawing and following description, or which may benlaterreferred to,

.may be attained by vconstructing .the .improved soaiiold in the mannerillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective viewpf .a platform scaiiold embodying the invention .:showing the same in extended position Fig. 2 i a perspective view-o1 the improved scafiold in the foldedor collapsed position;

Fig. 3-an enlarged detail sectional viewishowing the manner in whicheachsection of .the platform is hingedlyconnected to the adjustabletcross bar of one upright supporting frameand rests 55 nally adjustably mounted within the metal loop upon .andis secured to :theadjustable crossbar or an adjacent supportingframe;

.Fig. .4 a longitudinal plan sectional view through the upper portion of one of the upright sup-portingframes showing the adjustable cross bar thereon, with parts broken away tor the purpose of i1lustration; and I vFig. 5 a transversesectional view taken as .on the .line 55,.Fig. 4.

The scafiold .illustratedin Figs. 1 and, .2 .is

.formed of two units as this makes a very .con-

.venient size of scaffold for many uses, but it should beunderstood that only asingle unit may be used, or the scaffold may comprise three or .more units where alonger platform is desirable or necessary.

.Each unit ofthescaffold comprises two upright supportingjframes .each of which .maycomprise a pair of spaced uprights illrigidly connected at their lower ends .to two fixed horizontally disposed basemembers ll whichrmay'be provided with .casters l2 so that the scaffold may be easily moved across a floor, and connected at their ends .to arigid cross bar l3. The uprights 10 of each supporting frame may be braced by the crossed struts M offset from the supporting frames as by the blocks l5 having'a purpose .to be hereinafter described.

The pair. of upright upporting frames for each unitimaybe .adj ustably connected together as by .lazy tong levers I6, each of these levers being .pivotally connected atits upper end to one of the uprights I0, as'indicated at I'Lwhilethelower end thereof is pivotally connected as at 18 to a cross bar I9 vertically, slidably'movable upon the uprights Ii] of the other upright supporting frame of the unit.

The slidably movable cross bars f9 are slidably movable upon the lowerportions of the uprights l0 anda clearance isprovidedto permit them to slide .fromthe upperpositionas shown in Fig. 1

tothe lower position shown in Fig. 2 by offsetting the struts l4 upon-the blocks l5.

.For the purpose of mounting a platform .at

any desiredheight upon the upright supporting framesthe vertically adjustable cross has 20 are bars l3.

Each of these adjustable cross bars comprises a metalloop 2| slidably located around both of the uprights fl 0 of each upright supporting frame and having a Wood block .22.mounted therein between the uprights Hi. This wood block is longitudi- 2| by means of pins 23 carried by the block and located through slots 24 in the loop.

For the purpose of clamping each of the adjustable cross bars 20 in any desired adjusted position upon the supporting frames, a clamping plate 25 is slidably mounted upon each metal loop 21 between one end of the loop and the adjacent upright l0, and a clamping screw 26 is threaded through this end of the loop and bears against the clamping plate 25 so that when the screw 26 is tightened, the metal loop 2! will be drawn tightly around the two uprights ID of the supporting frame, clamping them against opposite ends of the wood block 22, which has sufficient longitudinal movement relative to the metal loop to accomplish this purpose, by means of the pins 23 and slots 24.

Spring loaded rods 20a may depend'from'the lower sides of the adjustable cross bars 20, being located through suitable apertures in the fixed cross bars [3 and the slidablecross bars [9, for the purpose of normally urging the adjustable cross bars 20 upward upon the upright supporting frames.

A section 21 of the platform is provided for each unit of the scaffold and as shown in the drawing, one end of each platform section may be hingedly connected to the adjustable cross bar 20 of one upright supporting frame as indicated at 28in Fig. 3, while the free end of the platform section is adaptedto rest upon the adjustable cross bar 20 of the other upright supporting frame of the unit, as shown in Figs. l and 3 of the drawing.

In the form of the invention illustrated where the scaffold comprises two units, the two platform sections are preferably hingedly connected to the adjustable cross bar 20 of the central frame and the free ends of the platform sections are adapted to rest upon the adjustable cross bars 20 of the two endmost supporting frames.

Each of the platform sections 21 may be provided with sockets 29 on its underside near its free end to engage the studs 301 fixed to the upper side of the wood block 22 of the. adjacent adjustable cross bar 20 so as to temporarily lock these parts together with the platform in open position as best shown in Fig. 3.

A ladder, indicated generally at 3|, may be lpivotally connected to the upper ends of the uprights of one endmost upright supporting frame, as indicated at 32, and provided with the usual links 33 for holding the ladder in operative or folded condition as may be desired.

As best shown in Fig. 1 the top step of the ladder may be formed by the free end of the platform section 21 resting upon the adjacent cross bar 20.

From the above it will be seen that the platform may be easily and quickly adjusted to any desired height by loosening the clamping screws 26 and raising or lowering the adjustable cross bars 20 to the desired height, the clamping screw 26 being then tightened to hold the cross bars 20 at the adjusted height, the platform sections 21 being supported upon the cross bars 20 at the adjusted height.

To fold or collapse the scaffold, to the position shown in Fig. 2, the clamping screws 26 of the adjustable cross bars 20 on the two endmost supporting frames are loosened and the. adjustable bars moved downward until the free ends of the platform sections 21 will clear the cross bars 20 and swing downward to substantially vertical position'as shown in Fig. 2.

The several vertical supporting frames are then moved toward each other collapsing the lazy tong levers Hi to the position shown in Fig. 3 and in this position, the scaffold may be easily transported or may be stored within a minimum space.

I claim: 7

1. A collapsible platform scaffold comprising a pair of upright supporting frames, lazy tong levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to said frames, cross bars slidably mounted upon the frames, the lower ends of the lazy tong levers being pivotally connected to said cross bars, verticaHy adjustable members on the upper portions of the frames, means for clamping said adjustable members in adjustable position, a platform hingedly connected at one end to one of said vertically adjustable members, the free end of the platform being arranged to be supported upon the other vertically adjustable member.

2. A collapsible platform soafiold comprising a pair of upright supporting frames, lazy tong levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to said frames, cross bars slidably mounted upon the frames, the lower ends of the lazy tong levers being pivotally connected to said cross bars, vertically adjustable members on the upper portions of the frames, means for clamping said adjustable members in adjustable position, a platform hingedly connected at one end to one of said vertically adjustable members, the free end of the platform being arranged to be supported upon the other vertically adjustable member, and means for attaching the free end of the platform to said other vertically adjustable member.

3. A collapsible platform scaffold comprising a pair of upright supporting frames, lazy tong levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to said frames, cross bars slidably mounted upon the frames, the lower ends of the lazy tong levers being pivotally connected to said cross bars, vertically adjustable members on the upper portions of the frames, means for clamping said adjustable members in adjustable position, a platform hingedly connected at one end to one .of said vertically adjustable members, the free end of the platform being arranged to be supported upon the other vertically adjustable member, and a pin upon said other vertically adjustable member, there being a socket in the under side of the free end of the platform for receiving said pin.

4. A collapsible platform scaffold comprising a pair of upright supporting frames, lazy tong levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to said frames, cross bars slidably mounted upon the frames, the lower ends of the lazy tong levers being pivotally connected to said cross bars, vertically adjustable cross bars on the upper portions of the frames, each vertically adjustable cross bar including a loop portion slidably mounted on the frame, a clamping screw located through one end of said loop portion for engagement with the adjacent edge of the frame, a platform hingedly connected at one end to one of said adjustable cross bars, the free end of the platform being arranged to be supported upon the other adjustable cross bar.

5. A collapsible platform scaffold comprising a pair of upright supporting frames, each of which includes two spaced uprights and fixed cross members at their lower ends and intermediate their ends, lazy tong levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to the upper ends of the uprights, cross bars slidably mounted upon the uprights between said intermediate and lower fixed cross members; the lower ends of the lazy tong levers being pivotally connected to said sliding cross bars, vertically adjustable cross bars mounted upon the uprights above said intermediate fixed cross bars, each adjustable cross bar comprising a metal loop located around the uprights, a block longitudinally movably mounted in the loop between the uprights and a clamping screw in one end of the loop for clamping the adjustable cross bar in adjusted position upon the uprights, and a platform supported upon the adjustable cross bar.

6. A collapsible platform scaffold comprising a pair of upright supporting frames, each of which includes two spaced uprights and fixed cross members at their lower ends and intermediate their ends, lazy tong levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to the upper ends of the uprights, cross bars slidably mounted upon the uprights between said intermediate and lower fixed cross members, the lower ends of the lazy tong levers being pivotally connected to said sliding cross bars, vertically adjustable cross bars mounted upon the uprights above said intermediate fixed cross bars, each adjustable cross bar comprising a metal loop located around the uprights, a block longitudinally movably mounted in the loop between the uprights, and a clamping screw in one end of the loop for clamping the adjustable cross bar in adjusted position upon the uprights, and a platform hingedly connected at one end to one vertically adjustable cross bar, the free end of the platform being arranged to be supported upon the other vertically adjustable cross bar.

' HOMER B. WALTZ. 

